


Alone here in the shadows

by Lizardbeth



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Loki (Marvel) Angst, Thor (Marvel) Dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-05 12:52:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14618990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizardbeth/pseuds/Lizardbeth
Summary: Everything falls apart when the punishment for failure is suffering and pain.or, Loki lives, and he wished he didn't.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So here's a not-fixit AU for the first bit of Infinity War which hopefully I can continue. 
> 
> in the meantime, enjoy the angst. :)

Loki cast the illusion of himself down the other corridor, luring at least Cull Obsidian stomping off that way, while he considered where to go. The ship was already badly damaged, Thanos’ troops were killing everyone who resisted, he had no idea where Thor was, and worst of all, he heard Maw’s _voice_ slithering around talking about lies. It reminded him too much of things he’d rather have forgotten.

Get the Gem, draw Thanos away – it was an easy enough decision to make, it was accomplishing it that was hard. The way to the _Commodore_ was blocked, but he could use the Space Gem himself. Go… somewhere. Anywhere.

He held out his hand, to call the Gem, when he felt the shift behind him and suddenly something hard poked him in the back. It sank deep, right through his leather and skin, grinding into his bone and he let out a gasp, not daring to move.

"The Master will see you,” Corvus Glaive hissed at him.

“You only had to ask politely,” Loki retorted, relieved when the blade was withdrawn and a hand shoved him into the main corridor to head to the central hall.

He had to shut his eyes on the sight. So many dead, sprawled out on the floor. He hoped Valkyrie had managed to get some on the _Commodore_ and out in time, but looking around, he feared that was a futile hope. What was left of Asgard was dead already.

A heavy step on the metallic floors drew his attention forward, where Thanos came into view again, around one of the supports. Proxima Midnight followed him with Cull Obsidian dragging Thor behind him.

 _No, no, no, not this, you were supposed to escape, you buffoon,_ Loki said to himself in panicked silence, staring with horrified _inevitability_ what was going to happen next.

Thanos stopped and turned toward Loki, as Cull Obsidian dragged Thor the rest of the way and let Thor fall to Thanos’ feet. He was still conscious, apparently, but moved sluggishly, trying to push himself up. Loki didn’t know if that was because Maw had got to his head, or he’d just been beaten up that badly, but hopefully it would clear up soon.

Thanos nodded his head to the Black Order, who gathered around Loki. He wanted to laugh for one hysterical moment - _‘so am I that dangerous then?”_

Well, he had the tesseract, he could use it. Except if he didn’t kill them all, it wouldn’t last.

He lost what advantage he had as Maw sidled up behind him and Loki felt that familiar _pressure_ on his mind. Not invading, not without touching him, but he was ready. Loki would have to pull the stone and strike him dead before he could react, and Maw would feel him reach for seidr to pull it.

Better to see if he could persuade them he didn’t have it at all.

He tried to keep the truth of it off his face as he lifted his chin.

“So, Loki, you return to me. Where is the gem you were sent to deliver?”

Loki spread his empty hands. “I don’t have it. It was destroyed on Asgard.”

Thanos didn’t quite smile but it was a darkly amused look. He raised the fist enclosed with the golden gauntlet and displayed the one purple stone already gleaming there. “No, it wasn’t. It’s here, and I know it’s here.”

 _Damn, that means they can track each other._ Loki looked at the Power Stone and had to swallow to clear a throat that was suddenly too tight for words. “Well, I don’t have it,” he returned. “I swear.”

“Oh, do you?” Thanos challenged mildly. He put his hand – the one without the Gauntlet – on top of Thor’s head, twining into his short hair, and yanking his head up so hard he grunted.

“Shall we get the location from him, Master?” Proxima Midnight asked eagerly.

“No, child. He knows where it is,” Thanos said. His fingers began to dig into Thor’s head, tightly. Thor tried to reach up to pull him off, but after a moment of tugging at the arm, his own hands fell as he gave a cry of pain. Thanos loosened his grip again, letting Thor breathe.

“Give me the Stone or he suffers,” Thanos threatened

Thor was shaking his head – _don’t do it, don’t give in –_ so Loki tried gritting his teeth and lying, “I don’t have it.”

He inwardly braced for Thanos to call his bluff, curling his hands into fists. He knew he’d have to endure long enough for Thanos to believe it, so he let his gaze meet Thor’s, hoping to offer some reassurance or something.

Thanos’ hand on Thor’s head squeezed again, wrenching Thor’s spine into a curve toward him. At first Thor clenched his jaw, but as the pressure grew – and Loki could _see_ Thanos’ thick fingers digging deep under Thor’s short hair – Thor cried out. His limbs flailed, helplessly trying to get away.

He was dying… If Thanos crushed Thor’s skull… Loki couldn’t lose him, he couldn’t not like this, not after Asgard, after their family, after all the dead he’d had to pass to get here…

And still Thanos squeezed, crushing Thor’s head slowly, while he watched Loki with a knowing smirk, waiting for him to break.

_I won’t bend, I won’t give you the Stone, I know Thor wants me to be strong..._

Thor screamed.

“STOP! Stop it!” Loki cried, the words bursting out of his mouth.

Thanos eased his grip enough Thor stopped screaming.

“I’ll – I’ll give it to you, just let him go.” He held out his hand and called seidr, bringing forth the tesseract. It cast its indigo gleam onto Loki’s hand, shimmering.

Behind he could see Thor weakly mouthing “no, no, don’t”.

“Why do you waste my time?” Thanos asked. “You knew and I knew you would give it to me.” Thanos opened his hand and let Thor slump to the ground. “Maw, bring it to me.”

“Yes, Your excellency.”

For an instant, Loki contemplated using it. He could strike at least once before the rest of the Black Order cut him down. If he could kill Thanos-- he and Thor would both be dead anyway, but Thanos would be dead. But.... With that Power Stone on his gauntlet, would the tesseract work? He was already strong enough to hurt Thor, could Loki hit him hard enough? He didn’t want both of them to die for nothing. That was always Thor’s idea of excitable heroism, but Loki’s way was to bide his time. Survive. Find another way.

There would be another way. If they were both alive, they could find another way.

He let Maw pluck the tesseract cube from his hand.

Thanos grinned, his eyes sparking with a genuine pleasure as he saw it heading his way. Then he looked at Loki, and the anticipation in Thanos’ face made Loki’s heart thump while his instincts screamed at him to run away.

“So at last you return what I sent you to get,” he said. “But we have still not reckoned with your failure to return my scepter.”

The words fell into the silence, and Loki's insides twisted with a sudden terror.

 _Shit, he’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill me. I’m sorry, Thor,_ he looked urgently at Thor, hoping he understood that this was Loki’s fault alone, not Thor’s. Loki would never blame him, never want him to believe any of this was his doing.

Thanos moved, bent down a little to seize Thor around the neck.

Loki watched, shock and disbelief turning the air almost solid so Thanos seemed to move slowly, deliberately, lifting Thor without any obvious effort all the way off the floor.

His legs dangled, and his boots kicked. Both hands were prying desperately at the big hand around his throat.

_Not me. Thor. He’s killing Thor._

“NO!” Loki screamed and hurtled himself at Thanos. Only to be caught around the shoulders, and held by Cull Obsidian. He twisted enough to get a foot in his captor’s knee and loosen his grip, but then froze, staring.

The sound was like nothing he’d ever heard before, the crunch of bone splintering, as Thanos jerked and twisted his hand. Thor dropped from his hand, landing with an unresisting thud, his head lolling with a sickening ease.

Everything inside Loki seemed to freeze – his breath, his heart stuttered to a stop – and then it all burst, shattering through him.

“THOR!!” Loki screamed, wrenched himself away from and threw himself at Thor’s body. Somewhere far away he heard the Hulk roar, but that didn’t matter.

“Thor, no, no, it’s okay, you’re okay….” He fell to hands and knees beside Thor and reached out trembling hands to touch him. “Thor? It’s okay, you’re okay, I can heal it, just be here, be here… “

But he knew the instant he touched Thor’s face that he was gone. His body was empty. Just a shell.

The realization splintered him to pieces, heart torn out and shredded in an instant.

Was he screaming, whispering? He didn't know, it didn't matter, as the words poured out of him in desperation, “no, no, you can come back. Please come back, please, no, not like this...."

He slumped over Thor’s body, one hand on his cheek, the other wrapped around a limp hand, trying to bring warmth to him. Trying to call him back. “Please come back, Thor, you have to … I’ll wait as long as I have to...”

Some use of _power_ stirred him … the Bifrost. Heimdall. Heimdall had activated it to send someone - not himself - away.

Loki pushed up enough to see Corvus Glaive stab Heimdall to death. Loki didn’t even cry out at the sight, his lips parted but all that came out was a faint ‘no’. He slumped back over Thor again. He was next.

Let them come. Let that spear burst his heart or cut off his head. End this.

“… _Master? What do we do with him?”_

A hand palmed the back of Loki’s head, twining in his hair, and wrenched his face up to see Thanos before him. “Did I not promise you pain if you failed me?” he asked Loki.

Through numb lips, Loki murmured, “I will see you dead for this.”

Thanos chuckled and released Loki’s head, so he fell back to Thor’s chest. “No, you won’t.”

Power flared, the edges of a portal brushing Loki’s senses, but he didn’t bother to look up. What was the point? Thanos was leaving, taking his minions, and leaving Loki behind.

He would just stay here, the dying with the dead. It was finished.

It was a relief to feel the power thrumming through the hull, passing through the deck under his knees, and see the purple skeins of light skitter across his hand and Thor’s, like some reverse-shadow of Thor’s lightning.

The Power Stone was going to rip the ship apart.

He rested his head on Thor’s unmoving chest and closed his eyes. At least Thanos hadn’t let him suffer too long.

Metal screamed, power exploded, and blessed nothingness ended it all.

 


	2. Guardians

Peter guided the _Milano_ amid the wreckage carefully, looking for something they could scavenge, while being painfully aware of the cost. The corpses still floating in space made that clear enough.

Behind his chair, Gamora stood, one hand on his shoulder, though whether to comfort him or herself, or merely to steady herself, he didn’t know. It wasn’t as if he was going to complain.

Groot was still playing his game, while Rocket kept an eye on the sensors and weapons in case whoever did this came back.

His glance back at Groot was just enough distraction, he couldn’t avoid the object – the body – that slammed into the main port window. He jumped at the thump, automatically noting the leather outfit, the humanoid shape, blue skin and black hair. The body was caught in the ship’s momentum, pressing the face against the window. His eyes opened.

Red eyes.

Peter jerked back in shock, Rocket let out a yell, while Gamora’s grip turned painful on his shoulder with her surprise.

“Ah, get it off!” Rocket shouted.

“How is he still alive?” Peter demanded.

“Bring him inside,” Gamora said.

“No!” Rocket protested. “Send it away!”

“He’s alive, Rocket,” Peter insisted. “We’re here to rescue.”

“He can’t be alive. That’s _space,_ there’s no suit, no breather,” Rocket insisted.

Behind them, Mantis’ soft voice said, “I feel pain from him, he needs our help.”

Peter stood up. “I’m going. Drax, with me, let’s bring him inside.”

“Peter,” Gamora called and Peter looked back over his shoulder at her. “Nobody touch his skin unprotected.”

Peter frowned, thinking he should ask about that, how she knew that, what the problem was, but that was for later. First, rescue the alien person from space then ask.

* * *

 

They put him on the chart table, the only one big enough to hold him. His eyes were closed again and he wasn’t breathing, but Peter remembered his eyes opening and figured that didn’t mean much.

His skin was soft Kree-blue, but he wasn’t Kree or Centauran, not with those red eyes. That skin also had some raised lines in it, though whether that was inborn or later applied, Peter couldn’t tell. Beyond that though, his features looked human enough. But he’d survived space without a suit, so obviously he was something else.

“What is he?” he asked Gamora, since she seemed to know. “Where’s he from?”

She was looking at their rescue, her arms folded, and her forehead knotted in concern. “He’s from Jotunheim.”

“Yot--what?” Peter asked, having never heard the word before. Which wasn’t that strange – he’d been a lot of places, but he certainly hadn’t heard of _every_ place – but she said it like he should know.

“The Frost Giants,” she said, which didn’t help much since Peter had never heard of Frost Giants either.

“He is not a giant,” Drax stated. “He appears to be moderately sized.”

Gamora reached out and lightly touched the new guy’s hand with the back of hers. She flinched back and displayed it to the others – there was a small circle of grey, dead-looking skin there and when Peter touched it, it was still cold.

“Is that frostbite?” He took her hand between both of his to warm it up.

“That’s impossible,” Rocket said flatly. “if he were that cold, our air supply would be cold. It’s not.”

“That’s what they do. I don’t know how. Maybe magic.” She gave a shrug. “Frost Giants are one of the old races of the universe. They aren’t seen much outside their homeland. Only this one.”

She looked at where his thumb was rubbing the injured part of her hand. It didn’t seem to bother her, but he knew how stoic she was, in addition to the rapid healing, and since she wasn’t pulling away, he kept doing it.

She drew in a deep breath. “Because I know who he is.”

Peter turned to her when she said nothing more. “Which is?”

“His name is Loki. He was Thanos’ prisoner when I was there,” she explained, her voice more distant than before. “I remember … what the others did to him,” she murmured. She pulled her hand free and moved away, but still looking at Loki on the table. “He was self-healing, very strong... At first he laughed at them. But they just kept doing it.” She swallowed, her arms tight around her body, and her eyes like death. Torture. And for her to be so affected, Peter figured it had to have been awful. “The longer it went on, the more I knew… I had to leave. When he sent us to Ronan, I knew I wouldn’t go back.”

“He was still a prisoner?” Peter asked, frowning. “Was that Thanos’ ship?”

She shook her head negative. “I know he was sent for one of the Stones. The call for help said it was Asgardian refugees, so he must’ve found his way back to Asgard. He was also the son of Odin, King of Asgard.”

Peter had heard that name; nobody in space hadn’t heard of the mythic king of ancient Asgard. Peter had once thought it was a fairy tale, but Yondu had told him, all serious, that Asgard was real and maybe someday Peter might find it. Of course then he’d said something about robbing it, but what Peter remembered now was the softness in Yondu’s voice describing its legendary grandeur and beauty.

Suddenly it made a lot more sense, why Thanos would hold and torture an Asgardian prince. “So, you’re telling me he’s a prince and strong enough to survive outer space without--”

He was interrupted by Loki inhaling sharply, and he started breathing more normally. Then, whether it was self-healing or what, the blue washed out of his skin, leaving it as pale as Peter’s, and the markings vanished.

“What the hell?” Rocket exclaimed. “What did he do? You sure he’s not from Xandar, Gamora? Cuz he looks like a Xandarian now.”

“An attractive Xandarian,” Drax observed, and Peter shot him a look.

“He’s not _that_ good-looking,” Peter protested.

“He is very handsome,” Mantis added. “But sad.”

Peter was about to declare he didn’t care about either of those things, when one of Loki’s hands twitched.

“He’s waking,” Gamora declared. She moved back, but when Peter would’ve gone with her, she waved him back toward the bed. “Stay out of his reach,” she advised. “Drax, you may have to restrain him, if he wakes confused or violent.”

Drax moved closer, while Rocket had a weapon ready – Peter hoped it was still a stun gun – but it was anticlimactic waking when the guy merely opened his eyes.

They weren’t red anymore, just ordinary light blue. He stared blankly upward at first, not quite alert, until a small frown formed.

“You are safe now,” Mantis said in soft voice. Peter wished she hadn’t said that, because that was making promises they couldn’t keep. And who knew what they might have to do to contain the guy if something happened.

He turned his head to see her, frown deepening, and then saw Drax. “Hey there,” Peter said, drawing his attention. “I’m Star-Lord, you’re on my ship the _Milano.”_

Loki sat up, legs swinging off the table in one impossibly graceful motion that had Peter scrambling to find his gun. “Will you shoot me, then?” he asked.

The guy was speaking English. He was actually speaking English, like he was from England. And he looked like he could be James Bond.

He gave a look at Peter’s gun, evaluating it, before glancing away with a scornful curl of his lips. “If you intend my death you should have left me out there.”

“Well maybe we should have,” Peter retorted. “You gonna mess with us, after we rescued you?”

“I am not unfamiliar with what Ravagers do to their salvaged persons,” Loki responded dryly, and while Peter was drawing himself up to deny being a Ravager, Rocket interrupted.

“You got anything to trade to recompense us?”

Loki’s head turned to look at him, eyes flaring in surprise at the sight. “A talking… what are you? Panda? Yes, I think it is panda.”

“Trash panda,” Peter corrected, smirking a bit. “That’s Rocket, Drax, Mantis,”

As his gaze fell on her, she waved and smiled at him.

Gamora had moved back to the bulkhead, so Peter had to turn pretty far to introduce her. “And that’s Gamora.”

Loki shouldered Peter out of the way, and he had a hand around her neck, slamming her against the bulkhead off her feet, before the rest of them could move. “Gamora,” he spat, eyes alight with fury. “I remember _you_.”

“Let her go!” Peter shouted. “Let her go or I will shoot you!”

Beside him, Groot was standing, suddenly aware, one hand still holding the game, the other extended toward Loki, ready to do whatever it took to free her.

Gamora lifted a hand trying to keep them from moving. “Stop,” she requested hoarsely. “Peter, no.” She looked back into Loki’s eyes. “I was there,” she murmured. “I know I was there. I’m sorry I didn’t help you. But I escaped him, I left-- I’m not with him anymore. Please don’t hurt my friends.”

It was the hardest thing Peter had ever done, stand there while Gamora was getting half-strangled by a crazed guy fished out of open space. On the one hand, he knew she could at least try to fight him off, and she wasn’t doing that, so she wanted this to play out. On the other, he had a hand around her throat, and he didn’t really seem in the mood to stop.

Loki leaned closer. “You do not defend yourself, assassin?” he whispered. “You have a weapon. Use it.”

“No.”

His free hand snapped out, open, and a dagger appeared in it, from what Peter assumed was a wrist sheath. Loki demanded, “Use it.”

She didn’t move. “You want me dead, do it. Or let me go. I’m not going to fight you.”

“FIGHT ME!” he roared in her face, hand shaking on the knife which was poking into her skin.

Instead of drawing on him, she reached up both hands to gently frame his face. He flinched at the touch but she persisted, angling his head to look her in the eyes. “I won’t fight you,” she murmured. “They’re gone.”

Her words made him flinch as if they were knives themselves, and his expression crumpled.

He wrenched away from her, crying out wordlessly, as he flung the dagger against the bulkhead with such force it dented the metal. Then he moved a few steps away, turning his back, and his hands clenched at his sides.

Peter looked at Gamora, and she gestured for him to be calm that she was okay. So Peter put the weapon back in his holster and licked his lips to approach him. “Look, buddy, I know what happened was bad, but we don’t attack other people on this ship.”

Loki wasn’t paying him any attention. He asked instead, in a voice that strained to be neutral, but his voice wouldn’t stay smooth, “Did you see another ship? A small craft, they were trying to escape...”

Rocket answered, “No. No other ships.” Loki’s shoulders slumped at the answer, but he wasn’t surprised by the confirmation. Rocket added, “No other intact ships, just debris and...”

He was about to say ‘bodies’ and Peter gave him a look to shut him up.

“And more debris,” Rocket finished. “Nothing to salvage. Like we hoped.”

“Like _you_ hoped,” Peter corrected. “We came in response to the distress signal. Found you-- somehow not dead in space.”

Loki gave a short bitter laugh. “Of course not dead. Norns take everything but me.” He staggered forward, seeking the front cockpit and the windows. Peter was glad they were now beyond the debris field, so all he could see was stars.

“They’re all dead,” Loki murmured. “Asgard. It’s gone. All that was left of it was on that ship.”

“All of it?” Gamora asked. “But-- the power of Asgard is legendary….”

“My sister did most of the work. Then Surtur to stop her. Then Thanos to kill what remained.” He gave a painfully bitter laugh. “That and me, since I could’ve left the damnable stone to be swallowed by Surtur, but no. I took it. So now Thanos has the Space gem. Because of me.” He took two more stumbling steps forward, looking out at the distant stars and he fell into the rear chair. “And yet here I am. And they’re all dead.”

Gamora exchanged a worried look with Peter, but it was Mantis who somehow reached him first. “You feel… so much,” she murmured, dark eyes blinking and her hand held out to him in comfort.

“What?” he asked, frowning at her.

“I feel feelings,” she explained, antennae bobbing gently. “Yours are… strong.”

“My apologies,” he said and flicked his fingers, shutting his eyes. She flinched back as if he’d hit her in the nose.

“No,” she protested, “I did not intend for you to shield yourself.”

“It’s better I do,” he answered, tone firming. “I have too much to think about to wallow in sentiment right now. Like, vengeance.”

Something about the way he said the final word, that his voice seemed to _curl_ around it, made a shiver go down Peter’s back.

Gamora didn’t seem affected, stepping closer. “The best kind of vengeance right now is to stop Thanos from getting the rest of the Stones. If he has Space he’s going after the other ones.” She turned to Peter. “We have to warn Xandar.”

“Xandar?” Loki repeated. “Why? What do they know about the Stones?”

“They have one,” Gamora said.

Peter corrected, “We gave it to them.”

“-- yeah, with no payment – “ Rocket complained

Peter overrode him, “With _pardons_ , that was our payment, and they let us leave, so that wasn’t nothing. But Nova Corps got pretty smashed against Ronan, you think they’re strong enough against Thanos?” he asked Gamora, who shook her head.

“They can hold out for a little--”

“Which stone do they have?” Loki interjected. “Soul?”

“No, Power,” she answered.

Loki was shaking his head when she finished the word. “No. Thanos has that already. I saw Power in the Gauntlet. That’s what… that’s what tore our ship apart.”

“You’re sure?” she asked, but she didn’t really seem to doubt him. Her arms went around herself, and she stared out the front for a moment. “So Xandar’s fallen, and we didn’t even hear about it yet.”

“I think he used the Power Stone to track mine.” Loki stood again and turned to face her. “I don’t know how else he found us in open space so easily, when I was shielding us. That means he can probably track the others. I know where three are – Mind and Time are on Midgard, protected for now. But Reality is on Knowhere – I assume you are familiar with it?”

Peter gaped at that. “The Collector had another Stone? That smooth son of a bitch.”

She exchanged a look with Peter and explained to Loki’s puzzled expression, “We tried to sell him the Power Stone, but it --”

“Exploded the place up,” Rocket cut in. “So we took it back and left.”

“He was weakened by the explosion,” Gamora said and faced Peter. “If we’d known another Stone was there, I would never have let him keep it. Peter, we have to get to Knowhere.”

He brushed past her. “Already going.” He threw himself into the pilot seat. “Rocket, light it up, we’re going in fast.”

“On it.” Rocket slung himself into his seat and grinned like the madman he was.

 

* * *

 

At Knowhere the _Milano_ emerged from hyperspace with a graceless lurch, and almost immediately Peter got a shiver down his back.

Knowhere was quiet. No ships were moving. He double-checked comms to see there was only silence. “What the hell?” he murmured.

“This is freaky,” Rocket added. “Where did they go?”

“Maybe Tivan had warning,” Gamora suggested. “He pulled everyone out and went somewhere else?”

“Could be. Hard to believe that bastard would just leave his colony unprotected though. Someone else is gonna squat in it,” Peter said, coaxing the ship closer to the outer perimeter. “Maybe already are. Look, lights.” he pointed toward the outer settlement as they coasted closer.

“We should go in,” Gamora said. “We have to check if the Stone is still here.”

Peter turned his head and looked up as Loki came to stand next to him, looking at the colony with an intent frown. “It doesn’t feel right,” he murmured.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Peter agreed. “Last time we were here the place was lively. I mean, there was that whole Ronan thing – thanks Drax,” he threw that back over his shoulder, but Drax folded his arms and looked unrepentant for nearly getting them all killed.

“No,” Loki said. He held up his hand, slowly sliding it forward and twisting his fingers in a peculiar way, as if plucking at invisible strings. “It feels… familiar. An echo of … “ He thrust his hand forward, palm out, and _something_ flashed in the vacuum beyond the cockpit window. Peter had no idea what it was, what had just happened, it was almost an after-image on his eyes, but Gamora gasped.

“What was that?” she demanded.

“Illusion,” Loki announced, dropping his hand to his side again. “That was a glimpse of what's beneath the illusion. But so strong I can’t break it.”

“Illusion?” Rocket asked. “What are you talking about? The sensors confirm, that’s Knowhere.”

“No, they don’t. Because I touched the aether, and I’ve felt the signature of the Reality Stone before,” Loki declared, folding his arms.

The minute he said “Reality Stone’, Peter knew and was already throwing on the reverse thrusters to brake their momentum, hurling everyone on their feet stumbling forward and throwing him into the controls. “Shit.”

Ruse discovered and their retreat noticed, _space_ rippled. And like a curtain was pulled back, suddenly Knowhere – the real Knowhere – appeared. It was on fire. It was empty and lifeless because it had come under heavy attack. Thanos had spared no effort to break Knowhere’s defenses, like cracking an egg. Whatever was left of Tivan’s place looked like it was a smoking pit.

“Go,” Gamora ordered tightly. “He’s here.”

Peter pulled on the controls to flip them to the reverse course.

“Quill, we got company!” Rocket warned, just as Peter saw it.

The ship was huge, the size of a Kree battle dreadnought at least, big enough to dwarf the _Milano_ into a starfighter.

“ _I am groot_ ,” Groot said, sounding horrified. At least he was finally looking up, Peter thought with a wild flash of humor.

“That’s his baseship,” Gamora murmured.

A tremendous screeching noise came over the comms, and Peter yelped, “Ow, what the-”

A deep voice came through the speakers. “ _Daughter, it’s time to come home. Your sister waits for you.”_

The channel filled with screaming and then, barely recognizable, a voice crying out, “ _No, please, no!”_ And more screaming in pain.

“Nebula!” Gamora shouted.

“ _Come to me, daughter. It’s time.”_ The channel shut again with another painful screeching.

“That was Thanos?” Mantis asked, softly, though it wasn’t much of a question. Peter had never heard the voice before, but it was obvious given how ashen both Gamora and Loki’s faces got at the sound.

Gamora whirled. “I’ll take the pod.”

“No.” Loki seized her arm, and when she yanked free, he threw both hands around her.

“Let me go! I have to go, he’ll kill her!”

“We don’t even know if she’s there. He has the Reality Stone. _Think_ ,” he implored desperately, holding onto her. “He can make you hear whatever he wants.”

“That's my sister!” she shouted and punched him in the face, so he let her go up the couple steps to the main deck.

But Drax got in her way. “Gamora. This is not wise.”

She let out a disbelieving scoff. “Coming from you? Get out of my way.”

Soft tendrils wrapped around her wrist delicately, and she turned to see Groot looking up at her. “ _I am groot,”_ he told her.

“He says-- ‘don’t go--” Rocket started and stopped.

“Mother,” Loki supplied. “He called you Mother. Or something like it.”

She let out a sobbing breath, covering her mouth, but held out her free hand to touch Groot’s face near his earnest big dark eyes.

“You speak Groot?” Rocket asked, incredulous.

“Allspeak,” Loki answered absently, not looking away from Gamora. “You know why you can’t go. He will use you against each other; he will never let her go.”

Gamora glanced with desperation toward Peter and then out the front window, her lips quivering and eyes suddenly shining. “But-- but she’s my sister. I owe her so much…. I can’t leave her there. He’s hurting her….”

“I know,” Loki answered, and his voice went ragged, “Believe me, I know.” She sagged against him, shaking, while Groot wrapped comforting tendrils around both of them.

Peter didn’t like the hugging, at all, but he was suddenly busy again as the ship rocked with a plasma blast. “Damn it! I guess they’re done asking. Rocket, you got some countermeasures? We gotta get clear or they’re gonna take us.”

“Oh, they can try,” Rocket purred and chuckled with delight, launching something out of the forward cannon array. Three seconds later, it exploded with a blinding flash out of the corner of his eyes, but Peter was already putting the _Milano_ on a tangent course to put some distance between them. Plasma beams tracked after, whacking the shields once, but Peter dodged the rest. There must have been an order not to destroy, though, since he didn’t think they were trying very hard.

“They’re going for capture, not kill. We gotta get out of here. Can you do it again, to hide our jump?” he called to Rocket.

“Hell, yeah!”

“On three...” He flicked on the jump calcs list and picked the first, ready to activate the instant Rocket’s flashbang was away.

It lit and they were gone.

* * *

tbc... 

 


End file.
